Button-hole sewing-machine



(Model.) I D MILLS 3Sheets .-Sh1eet 1,

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE. No. 305,624. PatLgnted Sept. 23. 1884 N. PETERS. Photo-Liwgrlpher, Washnglon. 11C.

(Model.) 3 Sheets-*Sheet 2.

. D. MILLS.

. BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 805,624. Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

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BUTTON-HOLE SWING-MACHINE.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,624, dated September 23, 1884.

Application tiled February 18, 1884.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, DANIEL MILLS, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain' Improvements in Button-Hole Sewing Mech anism, of which the followingis aspeciiication.

My invention consists of certain improvements in the construction of that class of button-hole feed mechanisms for sewing-machines in which the material is held between a pair of clamps having an automatic lateral reciprocating movement and an intermittent feed motion imparted to them, so that the needle may stitch the Sides and bar the ends of the button-hole.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sideview of niyimproved button-hole mechanism, Which is in the form of an attachment constructed to be detachably applied to the bed of an ordinary sewing-machine, and to be operated from the reciprocating needle-bar thereof. Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe attachment. Fig. 3 is a perspective View, partly in section, of the top. plate and its attachments. Fig. 4. is an inverted plan view of the same. Fig. 5

is a plan View of the attachment with the top plate and its parts removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the attachment, as seen in Fig. 5, but with some of lthe levers removed. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan on the line l 2, Fig. l. Figs. 8 and 9are views illustrating` the operation of a part of the device, and Fig. l0 is a sectional view on the line 3 4, Fig. 6.

A is the base-plate of the attachment, which mayhaveon its under side adovetailed guidepiece, a, of a size corresponding with the ordinarythroat-plate ofasewing-machine,sothat on withdrawing thethroat-plate the attachnient may be slipped into its place on the bed of the machine, as indicated in Fig. l. In this iigure a portion of the said bed and of the head and the needle bar are indicated by dotted lines.

All the operative partsof the attachment receive motion from the reciprocating needlebar, which has a pin on its lowerend adapted to an open slot in the end of the long arm of a bell-crank lever, B, mounted onacenter pin, b, fixed to an upright standard, A2, on the base-plate A, Fig. 6. The Short arm of the bell-crank lever B has jaws, which act on the outer end of a horizontal lever, C, freeto vi- (Model.)

' stitch, and from the same lever, D, an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the cam for giving the necessary longitudinal feed to the Secondary slide S', and also what I may term the pattern-cams, for limiting and determining the extent of vibration of the primary slide in the formation of the sides and barred ends of the button-hole.

I will describe these devices in their orden-- that is to say, iirst, the means for converting the constantly-vibrating motion of the lever Cinto an intermittently-vibrating motion of the lever D; second,A the devices for operating the primary slide therefrom; third, the means for converting the intermittently vibrating motion of the lever D into a rotary motion of the cam and pattern wheels; fourth, the deN vices for determining the extent of motion of the primary slide S, and the devices for imparting the longitudinal feed motion to the secondary slide S. A

On the lever C is mounted a pin, c, Fig. 5, preferably provided with. an anti-friction roller, this pin being adapted to act on a tappet, F, Figs. l and AL, free to have motion on v a pivot-pin, f, on thelever D, this motion bcing limited by the pin d. This pivoted tappet has a tapering point, j", and two arms, f2 f1?, as shown in Fig. 4, and on the lever C are two projections, c2 ci, the latter, or both preti erably, being spring or yielding projections or iingers. Supposing these parts to be in the relative'positions shown in Fig. 8, and the lever C moving in the direction of the arrowl, the pin c on the said lever will come into contact with the inclined sidej" f3 of the tappet, ,and the lever D will accordingly be thrown overI in the direction of the arrow 2. On the return'movement of the lever C in the direction y of the arrow 3, Fig. 9, thearmj'I of the tappet, being in the pathof the projection ci, will 1be struck by the latter, so as to throw the tappet over to the position shownin said Fig.; 9. Accordingly when the lever C is moved` back in the direction of the arrow 4 the pin c will 'strike the inclined side f f2 of the tappet, and the lever D will be thrown over in the direction of the arrow 5. This will bring the ngerf3 ofthe tappet into the path of the finger c3 on the return movement of the lever C, and the tappet will be again reversed, and so on. Thus during the movement of the le- A 'ver C inward in one .direction the lever D is at rest and only the tappet is reversed; but the lever D is moved alternately from one side to the other on every alternate Aor outward movement of the lever C.

To the lever D is pivoted, on the center f, a plate, D, which is held in greater or less frictional contact with the lever D by the head of the screw-pivot d, passing through a segmental slot in the friction-plate. The latter has a longitudinal slot7 d2, to which is adapted a4 swivel-block, t, on an arm, T, on the primary slide S, this arm being mounted on guides on the saidslides so as to be adjustable longitudinally thereon by a` set-screw, t', Figs. 15

vand. 6, for a purpose explained hereinafter.

The slide S is pivoted to the base-plate at s, so as to be free to vibrate thereon, and is steadied and retainedin the positions to which it is moved by a cross-plate, s', secured to the base. The pivot-pin s, whichv is secured to the slide S, has bearings in both the base-plate A and the cross-plate s', thus securing an extended and rm bearing, as shown in Fig. 10. The secondary slide S', to which any usual form of clamp may be attached, as indicated, for instance, in Fig. l, is adapted to V-shaped guides in the outer end ofv the primary slide, Fig. 6, so thatthe secondary slide, while partaking of the vibrating?l movement imparted to the primary slide, can be moved longitudinally thereon through the medium -of suitable devices, as hereinafter described.

Referring now to the devices for imparting intermittent rotary motion to the feed-cam and pattern-wheels, thereis mounted in the top plate, A', a center pin, G, on whichis free tokturn ak ratchet-wheel, H, into which vgears a= spring-pawl, h, Figs. l and 2, on a vibrating pawl-carrier, g, having the center pin, G, as an axis. A pawl, h', Figs. 2 and 3, on the top plate also gears into the ratchet-wheel H to prevent back action. The pawl-carrier g has two fingers o r jaws, g g2, between which' projects a pin, d3, Figs. 2 and 3, on the lever D, one of the jaws, g2, being adjustable (and capable of being secured after adjustment by a thumb-nut, 93,) so as to vary the extent of play ofthe pind3 between the jaws, and so vary the extent of feed imparted to the ratchet-wheel at each alternate movement of the lever D. Secured to or madein one piece with the ratchet-wheel H is a spur-wheel, H', gearing into a pinion, H2, on the spindle E. On this spindle are also mounted two pattern wheels or cams, I I', and a heart-shaped cam,

I1, Figs. 5, /6, and 7, which are all `three con-'1 nected to, soas toturny with,'the pinion HZ.

Each pattern-cam is inthe present instance 7o j provided with two diametrically-opposite recesses, zziwith intermediate curved faces, it', drawn on radii from the center of the spindle E, the face t" of each pattern-wheel being.. drawn on a smaller radius than the face i. 7"5 The recesses -or notches f in the two wheels i are in line with each other, but the facesz' and t" are alternated-that is, the face t' of one wheel is in the same side of a center line drawn through the notches'as the face t" of the` other wheel, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Against the peripheries of these two wheels I I are adapted to bearthe ends j j of two bent levers, .I J mounted on the bolts aa, the other ends, jj, of these levers being brought around to form a pairof straight-faced jaws, between which projects a swivel-block, t, on the arm T of the primary slide, Fig.- 6, so that these jaws j j will limit the extent of vibrating motion imparted to the slide S by the lever D and friction-plate D. The extent of this motion will be determined by the parts of the peripheries of the two cams I I', on which the other ends, j j, of the levers .I J are bearing at any particular moment. When the patternwheels are turned to suchV a position that these ends of the levers occupy the notchesz'?, as v shown, the jaws j j will be farthest apart and the slide S will have its fullest movement. The

-feed motion is so timedthat at that moment IOO v the secondary slide is at one end of its movef ment,.and the barring of the end of the button-hole will thus be accomplished. When the pattern-wheels are so turned that the ends ofthe levers J J bear on the faces 4Q-the 105 face vl will throw the corresponding jaw'so farV inward as to'limit the movement of the slide S to the extent desired in forming the stitches" ,i down or up one side of the button-hole until' the ends'j of the levers come into the notches IIO d2 opposite to those previously referred to,and the barring of `the other end of the button-hole will be accomplished. As the pattern-wheels continue their movement, the relative posil' tions of the jaws j j will. be changed to give i115 the extent of motion to the slide necessary toi' .form the opposite side of the button-hole.

By varying the depth of the notches i", or

by making them flush with the faces i', the width of the bar at the end'of the buttonhpl may be yvaried to4anydesired extent.

ever notches are used, as in the drawings, .thenl barring will be wider than the width of the@ button-hole.

By making the radius of the faces i t" greater .I 25 or less, various depths of bight or lengths of the stitches formingthe sides of the button hole may be obtained. In using the attachment,the variation of depth of bight is obtained by the adjustment of the arm T, as one Ii or both of the jaws j j/ always presentinclinedi faces, so that the space between them is wider at their 'ends than nearer the wheels I I. At

,the same time there is a corresponding adjustment of the bloclft in the slot of the frictionplate Dl toward or from the fulcrum of the lever D, this friction-plate forming the yielding connection between the lever D and slide S, made necessary by the limiting action of the jaws j j. The larger faces i of both wheels I I are of such a radius, however, that when either lever J or J bears on that face the inner face of the jaw j of that lever will be parallel, or thereabout, with a line drawn through the center of the spindle E, primary-slide axis, and needle-hole of the machine, so that in forming the sides of the button-hole the inner lines thereof will always be at the proper distance apart.

The construction of the feed-movement for the secondary slide will be best understood by referring to Fig. 7, in which I is the heartshaped feed-cam, having an intermittent motion with the wheels I I. This cam bears on one edge on an anti-friction roller on the short arm of a bell-cranklever, M, pivoted at m to the base, while the diametrically-opposite edge bears on an anti-friction roller on a radiusbar, O', pivoted at o to the base, t-he two levers O and M being connected by a curved link, o. The'long arm of the lever M is connected by a bolt and thumb-nut, m', to a bellcrank lever, N, pivoted on the pin c, while the opposite arm of this bell-crank lever has a pin and block adapted to a slot in the secondary slide S. The bolt m is adapted to slots in the two levers M N, so that by adjusting this in the said slots the extent of movement of the secondary on the primary' slide, and consequently the length ofthe button-hole, may be varied, as will be readily understood. The intermittent rotation of the cam I will give the necessary feed motion to the secondary slide'in amanner which will need no description.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the primary and secondary slides of a button-hole sewing mechanism, and cloth-clamps carried thereby, and means, substantially as described, for limiting the movement of the primary slide, v with a lever, D, and a friction-plate, D', carried thereby, to impart motion to the slide, a tappet, F, carried by said lever D, and a vibrating lever, C, carrying a pin, c', and ngers for reversing the tappet.

2. The combination of the primary and secondary slides of a button-hole sewing mechanism, cloth-clamps carried thereby, and afeedcam operating the said slides, with a vibrating lever, D, having a pin, d3, a ratchet-feed wheel, H, controlling the cam, a pawl, and a vibratin g pawlcarrier having jaws g g2, one of which is adjustable, substantially as described.

3. 'Ihe combination of the primary and secondary slides of a button-hole sewing mechanism, cloth-clamps carried thereby, and an operating-lever, D, with a friction-plate, D', pivoted to the said lever, and having a slot for the reception of a projection on the primary slide, and pattern-wheels for limiting the vibrating motion of the primary slide, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the primary and secondary slides of a button-hole sewing mechanism, cloth-clamps carried thereby, and an operating-lever, D,.and friction-plate D', with an adjustable arm, T, carried by the slide, and having a projection adapted to a slot in the friction-plate, and means, substantially as set forth, for limiting the movement of the primary slide.

5. rIhe combination of the primary slide of a button-hole sewing mechanism, and an operating-lever for vibrating the said slide, with two rotary pattern-wheels, and a bent lever for each wheel, arms on the two bent levers forming a pair of j aws, between which is adapta projection on the said slide, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the primary slide of a button-hole sewing mechanism, an operatinglever therefor, two pattern-wheels, and means for intermittently rotating the same, and two corresponding bent levers, forming a pair of jaws, with an arm adjustable on the said slide, and having a projection entering between said jaws, as and for the purpose vset forth.

7. The combination of the primary slide of a button-hole sewing mechanism, and an operating -lever therefor, with two patternwheels, having alternate faces i z" and intermediate notches, zz, and bent levers controlled by said wheels and forming jaws, between which is adapted a projection on the said slide.

8. The combination of the primary and secondary slides of a button-hole sewing mechanism, cloth-clamps carried thereby,and devices, substantially as described, for vibrating the said slides, with a heart-shaped rotary cam, a lever, M, controlling the secondary slide, radius-rod O, and connecting-link O.

In tcstimony'whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANL. MILLS.

Witnesses:

J oHN E. PARKER, HUBERT HowsoN.

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